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The NBAA claims that its 2017 NBAA-BACE event was an all-around success, despite some reports of soft attendance and a lack of major news announcements. “This year’s show was special in many ways,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen (pictured). “We celebrated NBAA’s 70th anniversary, and how our industry is stronger when we work together. We gathered in the company of aviation leaders and legends, like Capt. ‘Sully’ Sullenberger and Capt. Jim Lovell. We saw the launch of exciting new products, and we brought a citywide convention to Las Vegas, which the city welcomed with open arms.” Scaled Composites has confirmed the first flight of its most recent project, experimental aircraft Model 401. Scaled worked with a proprietary customer to build two vehicles to demonstrate advanced, low-cost manufacturing techniques and to provide aircraft for research flight services to industry partners and the United States government. The two vehicles were designed to be identical in outer mold line and performance, with each aircraft powered by a single Pratt & Whitney JTD-15D-5D engine with 3,045 pounds of thrust. After a July 2016 balloon accident in Lockhart, TX that caused 16 fatalities, the FAA took proactive steps to increase the safety of hot-air balloon tourism. As the result of a year-long FAA “Call to Action” with the commercial hot-air balloon industry, the Balloon Federation of America (BFA) has developed an “Envelope of Safety” accreditation program for balloon ride operations. Consumers can use the program to select a ride company or pilot that strives to reach a higher safety standard – a move the agency applauds. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne!!!

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